Method of and apparatus for loosening tobacco particles and frering them from dust



June 21", 1932 v LORENTZ 1,863,666

IETHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR LOOSENING TOBACCO PARTICLES AND EREEING THEMFROI DUST Filed April 28, 1928 J12 wzzaa-z v Wide/22in Ere/2g y ##VM Patented June 21, 1932 VLIIENTIN LOBENTZ, O1 ZOE-EDEN, GEBKM,

assmnoa r0 nan-1n CIGARETTE n- OHINE COMPANY AITIENGESELLSCHAI'I', OI DBESDEN, 0mm I I ETHOD' 01' AND APPABAT'UB FOB LOOSENIIIG TOBACCO PAR-T163138 AND FIRING" THEE 1B0]! DUST Application filed April 28, 1928, Serial Io. 273,842, and in Germany larch 19, i887.

This invention relates to a rocess and an apparatus for loosenin and reeing tobacco from dust designed an adapted for use with pneumatic conveyances.

6 The pneumatic conveyance of cut tobacco to the various points where it is cleaned, loosened or otherwise treated is already known.

' The ipes through which the tobacco is conveyed rom the cutting machineare generally i of cylindrical section. It has already been proposed to curve them strongly, as well as to provide them with abutment members, in order to loosen the tobacco particles and-t0 separate more thoroughly the dust from the 15 tobacco,

the air current to push upon the ipe walls or upon the abutment members. ereby, how ever, the tobacco particles may be damaged or pulverizedunintentionally.

The preeent'invention relates to an improved method and means for freeingthe to bacco from dust in its passage through the feed tube. i In the process, according to the present 25 invention, the air, which carries the tobacco with it, is given alternately higher and lowor rates of speed. The result .of this is that 'the tobacco advances more quickly at the laces where the air speed is greater, where- 59 y it is separated and the dust set free, and at those points, at which the speed of the air current is reduced, the tobacco is turned and whirled about by the whirling movement of the air, and com letel freed from dust. The varying spec of tie air current as it carries t e tobacco along with it may be obtained by man difierent means, for instance, the speed of t e air current can be increased by the use of fans or by the influx of comas pressed air or air may be drawn in at certain laces in the tube and by other similar means. referably,the varying speed of the air current is obtained by widening and constricting parts of the feed tube.

A particularly effective configuration of a ipe for the purpose in question is illustrated 1n the figure. The free sectional area of this pipe is different at different parts, in consequence whereof the velocity of the air varies accordingly. The efiect thereof is that the :same and carried away.

in that this latter is then caused by tobacco passing through the smallerfree sectional areas is drawn asunder so as to expose the dust to the air, whereas in the lar er free sectional areas the eddies there forming causethe tobacco particles to whirl through one another whereby the particles are loosened, and dust is completely removed from the be drawing shows a side view of a pipe through which the cut tobacco is conveyed, for instance, from the cutting machine to a cigarette making machine.- This tube has narrow portions 106, 107 where the speed of the air is by far higher than in the wider portions 108 and 109. The tobacco is drawn asunder in the narrow sectional areas and whirled through in the larger ones. The arrowsindieate the direction in which the air is streaming throu h that tube. I wish it to be understood that t e drawing shows merely an exirp ple. Many other configurations of the tube or of an equivalent conduit for it are possible, and also equivalent means may. be used or the particular purpose intended. I claim 1. A method of loosening tobaheo particles and freeing same from dust consisting in conveying the tobacco particles by means of an air stream having difierent speeds in difierent parts of its path.

2. A device for pneumatically separating adhering tobacco particles and dust which consists exclusively of a tube of a configuration having alternate narrow and wide portions to thereby vary the speed of the air in the tube.

In testimony whereof I affix my signatnre. v

VALENTIN Lon'nu'raf 

